Top drive systems are used to rotate a casing or a drill string within a wellbore. Some top drives include a quill that provides vertical float between the top drive and the tubular string, where the quill is usually threadedly connected to an upper end of the casing or drill pipe to transmit torque and rotary movement to the drill string, but can also be indirectly linked to the casing or drill pipe through a clamp, for example.
To reduce the incidence of binding and/or stick-slip, the top drive may be used to oscillate or rotationally rock the drill during drilling to reduce drag of the drill string in the wellbore. However, the parameters relating to the top-drive oscillation are typically programmed into the top drive system, may not be modified by an operator, and may not be optimal for every drilling situation. For example, the same oscillation parameters, such as speed, acceleration, and deceleration may be used regardless of whether the drill is string is relatively long, relatively short, and regardless of the sub-geological structure. However, oscillation parameters used in one drilling circumstance may be less effective in other different drilling circumstances. Because of this, in some instances, an optimal oscillation may not be achieved, resulting in relatively less efficient drilling and potentially less bit progression.